PRACTICAL LIVING

1 Peter 4:1-11

Scholars like to call this “praxis” related to the word practical. It’s Christian applied ethics, answering the question “So what?” to the theology. One Christian educator I respect says the NT is usually half theory and half praxis. He tested it on the book of Romans, considered difficult theologically, and concluded that even there, half the book was practical application.

The Lifeway quarterly builds this lesson on verse 7 which says “The end of all things is at hand.” A couple of weeks ago in my discussion of basic interpretation skills I mentioned the “interim ethic,” the teaching of behavior in light of their expected soon return of Christ. For example, where Paul discourages marriage if you can control your sexual drive, he might not have done so had he known the Lord would not return in the next hundred years. Here Peter uses it as a motivation for Christian behavior. When I was a kid, preachers often preached a question, “How would you feel if Christ came back while you were engaged in that activity?”

The quarterly goes on to make an excellent point of four things we should do in light of the end of all things: prayer, love, hospitality, and service through exercising gifts.

Now let’s back up to the beginning of the chapter. Apparently, some of the Christians in their churches had suffered for Christ. Peter says those have done with sin. My interpretation of that is that if they have been identified as believers and did not recant under persecution, their lives obviously now were totally dedicated to the Lord.

Another motivation is the change the Spirit has made in their lives. Notice their previous behavior. Many of these people were radically transformed. I’ve mentioned before that a Methodist friend once came asking how to find prospects, because they had a layman evangelist coming. They were panicking because they had heard if they didn’t have enough prospects, he’d wander into the bars and poolrooms to witness! Our seminary in New Orleans at least once had a soul winning course where they dropped men off at French Quarter bars and made them enter for at least an hour. Yet few of us have the courage to do that – I haven’t, tho I know a few converted from that life who have not hesitated to do witnessing in that area. “The Chaplain of Bourbon Street” developed a ministry to the denizens of the Quarter and found them very human indeed.

Peter thought the change in their lives had became an unanswerable testimony to those who knew them in a previous life. I remember when my father was first elected DA, we were celebrating in a restaurant. He was drinking tomato juice, and some of his crew were teasing him for not imbibing something harder. He just smiled and shook his head. Around that time he was president of the Louisiana state Baptist Brotherhood organization and was careful of his witness. I remember the Cajun guy at Boys’ State telling me, “You have something I don’t have. I don’t know what it is…better education maybe.” The Spirit threw open the door, and to my shame, I didn’t tell him what it was. Those opportunities don’t come often, and it’s important to grab them when they do.

The gospel preached to the dead – I have no clue. I’ve read all sorts of explanations, but found nothing that satisfies me. The best guess I have is that Jesus proclaimed the gospel to the dead to explain why they ended up where they did. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Now notice the four practical actions in verses 7 and following (7ff). Prayer is fundamental. Since my heart attack 13 years ago, I have exercised regularly almost every week. Medical authorities say this helps avoid circulation problems and many others. Prayer holds that place in our spiritual lives. If you don’t include a time of prayer in your daily routine, begin NOW.

Love is the key Christian quality. Paul lists it first in the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. It’s especially important in church and among believers. Indeed, there’s a famous quote by a pagan author, “Behold how these Christians love one another.” How does love cover or erase a multitude of sins? Several possible answers have been given, but my favorite is simply by forgiveness. We receive our forgiveness from God’s love, and we offer it the same way.

Be hospitable to each other without complaining. I have a friend who kept 40 Hispanic refugees in his home after Katrina. He didn’t speak Spanish, and they spoke little English. How’s that for hospitality. Missionaries and others who have lived in the Middle East have emphasized that hospitality is a fundamental virtue there. Possible because the cultures arose out of the desert, and travelers would die if they couldn’t receive food and water at intervals, this compassion arose from necessity. In Israel it was a command from God that continued in the NT.

Service through gifts. The classic teaching passages are Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. In short, God has given each Christian at least one gift, of the Spirit’s choice. They can be compared to the parts of the body in that each has its own function in the church as the body of Christ. The best way to live the Christian life is to discover your gift or gifts, develop them, and employ them as part of the church. He gave them to be used and to contribute to the health of the church. One reason, worshipping Christ on the fishing bank is not sufficient. A believer is called to live life in community, giving and receiving as part of that fellowship. So how involved are you?

Who did you help last week? Who will you help this week?

PRACTICAL LIVING

1 Peter 4:1-11

Scholars like to call this “praxis” related to the word practical. It’s Christian applied ethics, answering the question “So what?” to the theology. One Christian educator I respect says the NT is usually half theory and half praxis. He tested it on the book of Romans, considered difficult theologically, and concluded that even there, half the book was practical application.

The Lifeway quarterly builds this lesson on verse 7 which says “The end of all things is at hand.” A couple of weeks ago in my discussion of basic interpretation skills I mentioned the “interim ethic,” the teaching of behavior in light of their expected soon return of Christ. For example, where Paul discourages marriage if you can control your sexual drive, he might not have done so had he known the Lord would not return in the next hundred years. Here Peter uses it as a motivation for Christian behavior. When I was a kid, preachers often preached a question, “How would you feel if Christ came back while you were engaged in that activity?”

The quarterly goes on to make an excellent point of four things we should do in light of the end of all things: prayer, love, hospitality, and service through exercising gifts.

Now let’s back up to the beginning of the chapter. Apparently, some of the Christians in their churches had suffered for Christ. Peter says those have done with sin. My interpretation of that is that if they have been identified as believers and did not recant under persecution, their lives obviously now were totally dedicated to the Lord.

Another motivation is the change the Spirit has made in their lives. Notice their previous behavior. Many of these people were radically transformed. I’ve mentioned before that a Methodist friend once came asking how to find prospects, because they had a layman evangelist coming. They were panicking because they had heard if they didn’t have enough prospects, he’d wander into the bars and poolrooms to witness! Our seminary in New Orleans at least once had a soul winning course where they dropped men off at French Quarter bars and made them enter for at least an hour. Yet few of us have the courage to do that – I haven’t, tho I know a few converted from that life who have not hesitated to do witnessing in that area. “The Chaplain of Bourbon Street” developed a ministry to the denizens of the Quarter and found them very human indeed.

Peter thought the change in their lives had became an unanswerable testimony to those who knew them in a previous life. I remember when my father was first elected DA, we were celebrating in a restaurant. He was drinking tomato juice, and some of his crew were teasing him for not imbibing something harder. He just smiled and shook his head. Around that time he was president of the Louisiana state Baptist Brotherhood organization and was careful of his witness. I remember the Cajun guy at Boys’ State telling me, “You have something I don’t have. I don’t know what it is…better education maybe.” The Spirit threw open the door, and to my shame, I didn’t tell him what it was. Those opportunities don’t come often, and it’s important to grab them when they do.

The gospel preached to the dead – I have no clue. I’ve read all sorts of explanations, but found nothing that satisfies me. The best guess I have is that Jesus proclaimed the gospel to the dead to explain why they ended up where they did. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Now notice the four practical actions in verses 7 and following (7ff). Prayer is fundamental. Since my heart attack 13 years ago, I have exercised regularly almost every week. Medical authorities say this helps avoid circulation problems and many others. Prayer holds that place in our spiritual lives. If you don’t include a time of prayer in your daily routine, begin NOW.

Love is the key Christian quality. Paul lists it first in the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. It’s especially important in church and among believers. Indeed, there’s a famous quote by a pagan author, “Behold how these Christians love one another.” How does love cover or erase a multitude of sins? Several possible answers have been given, but my favorite is simply by forgiveness. We receive our forgiveness from God’s love, and we offer it the same way.

Be hospitable to each other without complaining. I have a friend who kept 40 Hispanic refugees in his home after Katrina. He didn’t speak Spanish, and they spoke little English. How’s that for hospitality. Missionaries and others who have lived in the Middle East have emphasized that hospitality is a fundamental virtue there. Possible because the cultures arose out of the desert, and travelers would die if they couldn’t receive food and water at intervals, this compassion arose from necessity. In Israel it was a command from God that continued in the NT.

Service through gifts. The classic teaching passages are Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. In short, God has given each Christian at least one gift, of the Spirit’s choice. They can be compared to the parts of the body in that each has its own function in the church as the body of Christ. The best way to live the Christian life is to discover your gift or gifts, develop them, and employ them as part of the church. He gave them to be used and to contribute to the health of the church. One reason, worshipping Christ on the fishing bank is not sufficient. A believer is called to live life in community, giving and receiving as part of that fellowship. So how involved are you?

Who did you help last week? Who will you help this week?